With the British defeat against Napoleon in Spain and the quickly fading chance of winning the war against Napoleon in continental Europe as one European power after another fell to the French forces, with the peace being signed with the French Empire the people of London where outraged, having spent so much money and so many lives in the war against the French for it to simple being thrown away in such a peace. In turn they rose up in revolt against the Crown, soldiers where quickly called in to suppress the local uprising, The Prince Regent George, later George IV used his own personal guards were sent to suppress them, earning him much hatred among the common people of London and the rest of Britain when the news spread which would shadow his own reign after his father George III died in 1820. What many seemed to ignore was that despite all of the losses, the British Empire had still gained land in South Africa from the Dutch which helped bring the British Empire Further into Africa and trade with India. The King due to his indulgence, lust and now with this attack upon the common people it left with Britain in such an unhappy mood with the monarchy that many thought it might be the end of it. The British people having grown tired of the European affairs and the politicians being afraid of another disaster as the Napoleon wars decided to instead focus on overseas expansion, this was to be the turning stone in British Indian expansion, the mass annexation of land in India turned Britain into a wealthy state that no longer needed Europe for its economy, or at least that is how they liked to think, but despite their new lands and subjects it wouldn’t be until under later the economy truly began to stand on its own.
With the death of George IV the nation breathed out relieved and with the hopes of a better future. With the accession of William IV the nation took a fresh breath but one many British feared it could not finish. Luckily King William showed to be vastly different from his brother, often offering people in London rides in his carriage, he quickly became popular in England as he was a more relaxed King than his predecessor and much less scandalous. It was also during his reign that the industrial revolution truly took hold and brought the nation forward.
His Majesty Edward VII, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King and Defender of the Faith.
1837-1862
When William IV died in 1837 he himself had no heir, the throne passed to his nephew the Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the 26 year old Duke then became Edward VII of Great Britain and Ireland. It was a branch of the royal family that had not been expected to ever become the monarchs and such had not entirely prepared for the responsibility it bore. King Edward made many mistakes early on in his reign but the public forgave him for most, despite the faults of the King then the British nation was still on the rise in the world, with the conquest of India largely done and the resources and luxuries now fully being transported home to Britain. With the industrial revolution funding the way for Britain in the world it was only a matter of time before the first truly great invention was done, the world’s first airship named “King Edward” In his honor was launched and made its first maiden voyage from London to Edinburg. It was such a success that it didn’t take long before more where made, this time with money in mind to bring goods from India back home at an alarming new pace, while the idea was good and it is still done to this day it is only done for luxury goods as the price of transportation was extreme thus many still used the ships.
Three years into his reign the biggest crisis hit the monarchy since the days of the London uprising, the Princess Victoria, the heir apparent to the British Throne married Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. With the increased anti-European stance in Britain this was a marriage that was heavily frowned upon, many thought that the state should not connect itself closer to their European neighbors and that was against the interests of Britain. King Edward urged his sister not to accept the marriage as it would course a scandal, but she was far too deep in love with Albert and they were married in 1838, only a few years after the Prussians took lands from Denmark which was largely considered an illegal action in Britain and heavily frowned upon. As the King predicted the outrage in the people of Britain was immense, for the Princess to marry not only a European noble, but a duke under Prussian rule was unacceptable in Britain. The royal family was split in half because of her actions with Edward VII disowning his sister and her husband and causing a permanent rift between the two branches of the family. Despite disowning Princess Victoria the people of Britain where still not happy, many where afraid that now Britain had prospered from its isolation policies, it now stood with a strong economy and an Empire on which the sun never sets and many people felt that the royals where throwing it away for personal gain.
In response to the criticism the King made the decision to formally drop his titles of King of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg. While the lands had been lost during the wars against the Napoleon and then annex by the Prussians following his death, it was titles that the British monarch had been using ever since the house of Hanover came to the throne. With the new rise in disdain for European affairs and the royal marriage to the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha the King had no other option than to drop the titles in hope to affirm the people of Britain in the Kings commitment to Britain first and foremost over any European claims or ambitions held by his house or relatives. The mood of the nation quickly changed but it was still soured by Victoria, luckily for King Edward it didn’t take long before it could be announced that his wife pregnant was pregnant and a few months later gave birth to their first son which they named William after the late King.
Despite the scandal he proved to be a popular King which was what Britain needed during the period, he involved himself less and less in politics as his reign went on and allowed his ministers to gain more and more power. While the King was still needed to pass laws, could appoint and kick ministers among other things, the King had decided not to oppose the laws or the ministers and let them run their cause. The political instability that had haunted his predecessors, where therefore close to a minimum during most of his reign. The Kings personal life was however not the best and was cursed by the same problems which had followed the previous Hanoverian Kings, just like George I, II, III and IV. King Edward fought with his son and didn’t trust him to help in the affairs of state, this caused a rift between father and son where the Prince of Wales often considered his father to be weak and largely useless, letting his ministers walk over him without fighting back. Despite the fighting the King remained popular for the rest of his reign until his death in 1862.
During his reign, Britain saw some of the best innovations ever created for man, one of the finest where the creation of the first automaton in the world.
His Majesty William V, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King and Defender of the Faith.
1862-1879
William V came to the throne with a different mindset than his father, the monarchy ones again being popular making the king wanting to use its newfound popularity to further his own goals. He favored the house of lords and often was with them when they convened, he didn’t believe that the Kings should simply look pretty on a throne and thus he wanted a parliament he could control. While at first he believed himself to be able to succeed in this goal, he quickly realized that it would be fruitless to try and force it, he had fired a minister from his post and had expected discontentment for his decision, what he did not expect was the large scale that it was seen. Before long the King was required to accept the demands of the people and reinstall the minister, it was seen as a disgrace from the King making it the last time that the King William tried to control the ministers.
He came into more conflict with ministers later over the grants of royal orders, a minister had promised the Order of the Bath to one which the king had not approved of, when the foreign dignitary arrived to receive the order, the king refused to grant it to him resulting in a diplomatic incident which was later resolved. The real problem was back at home, the king was once again in conflict with a minister but this time the population was not in outrage of the king but rather in his support. This time with the public support the King stood firm that the orders where only for the Monarch to give out to people he thought deserving and not simply to anyone the ministers and politicians simply wanted there. In the end the ministers had to bow down as he was being ridiculed after a long conflict with the King and the people of Britain where simply sick of it, they have had enough and agreed with the King that it was his right as well as wished it to have a higher purpose for the realm and not a political party.
While this was a minor issue to most politicians, it was considered a great victory for the King and his royal power, most of his spirit had regrown in his station now that he felt the politicians no longer could simply walk on the monarchs, while in effect it matter little to anyone else.
Despite all of these things it was still clear that the relationship between parliament and the King was not a good one, they often disagree even though no real consequence was resulted from it. In 1875 the Prince of Wales decided to tour India in the wake of the bankruptcy of the East Indian Company, the Prince traveled by airship together with a number of friends and officials, visiting important sites and officials, while traveling around he was said to have seen the British officials treat the Indians poorly making him write home in a letter to his father "Because a man has a black face and a different religion from our own, there is no reason why he should be treated as a brute." At the end of the tour it was shown to be a great success in India, following with the poor relations between the King and Parliament the Prime minister decided to try and improve the relations between the two. As such King William was the first British monarch to be given the title Emperor of India, while the gesture meant little it did help improve relations greatly between the King and government, while the King still liked most of the politicians, he stated “In here, a government which we can work with”.
The King was eager for Crown Prince to get married when he returned to Britain but the politicians ones again had objections. Over the course of the reign of William V the nation had moved more and more towards Europe once again, more and more politicians wanted to take part in Europe and argued for intervention once again and to put Britain back as a player in mainland politics. It was a topic that was heavily discussed and debated in parliament, the conservatives where mostly against the move into Europe once again whereas the liberals wanted closer ties Europe. The King himself had wanted his son to marry into a local British noble family just as his older sister, Princess Elizabeth, had done, but parliament spoke against it and urged the King not to do it instead hoping to secure a European match for the Prince of Wales to bind them closer with Europe. The King once again wanted to stand firm against parliament, not wanting them the decide who the Prince should marry and that it was the royal families choice, the issue only died down after the Prince of Wales agreed with the parliament against the King in private to look for a European match instead of a British. A few years later the king died of tuberculosis.
His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith and Emperor of India.
1879-
With the death of his father, King William V in September of 1879, George V became King at the age of 22. Many has high hopes for the King and the future of the nation, with the ever growing desire to gain closer ties to Europe the now Kings marriage has been held off until a suitable wife from a friendly nation can be found. The King is said to be a supporter of the liberal politics and closer ties to Europe despite having good relations and correspondence with the current Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield and current prime minister of Britain. In an attempt to please the young King as well build favor it was passed in parliament upon his father’s death that the title: Emperor of India. Was no longer just used in regards to India but by act of Parliament an official part of the title of the British sovereign to be included on all signed papers and signatures etc. etc. At his coronation there was spent a great deal of money on pomp and ceremony, the British officials used the chance to show off many of the new British innovations, the King himself being flown in a new Airship designed by the British Fleet for the occasion and operated by proud marines of the British Empire, as well as the new British models of automaton which drove the car in which his Majesty was transported from the airfield to Westminster Abbey, together with ceremonial guards and entourage.
His older sister married to the Duke of Norfolk’s son, the duke himself being an influential person in British politics and possible candidate for head of the Liberal Party should Gladstone decide to withdraw for politics. The King is also looking for a European match for his younger sister, Princess Anne, to marry and further secure Britain in Europe, the King also has a younger brother, William age 10, the Duke of York who is heir apparent to the British Throne.
OOC:
Thoughts about British Marines, too much, too little?
